Moving On
by Wyndhamfan
Summary: Cameron finds herself at the front of Chase's home in Australia seven years after he left PPTH. What has he been up to all these years? There be Chase angst! And, oh yeah, hc. A Chase character study.
1. Chapter 1

**Moving On**

**Summary**: It has been seven years after Robert Chase left PPTH, so why is Cameron standing in front of his house in Western Australia? Chase angst ahoy!

**Spoilers: **Up to season 3

**Characters: **Mainly Chase, Cameron, and one female of my invention.

**Note**: To be the honest, I think people will look at the summary of the story and go, "Meh." (Though I hope the Chase angst will pull some readers in.) Which is why I thought this little note should be helpful. Now, this is not really a "shipping" story but a character-study story, with the character being studied Robert Chase, of course.

I wrote this in response to the current story arc between Chase and Cameron (you know, the sex without strings attached story arc) which I'm actually quite intrigued by but not very happy about. The story got me thinking about why Chase is doing it. He obviously knows that Cameron is not into him, and I'm not inclined to think that he's just doing it so that he can have a good lay.

In the previous episode, _Fetal Position_, it's pretty obvious that Chase has strong feelings for Cameron (and that there's foreshadowing that his heart will be crushed soon. Sob!).

It is my deepest hope that Chase will one day come to find out what can really fill that void in him. Watching him fill it with empty pleasure makes my heart ache. (I don't think the writers will help him any time soon. I mean, what's the fun in that for them, right?)

So, there, the story of how this story came to be. I hope you read it, and pretty please with a cherry on top, drop a review! Thanks. :)

**Chapter 1**

WHEN she heard the scream, Allison Cameron had the irrational urge to cry out, "Is everything all right?"

Thankfully, the scream morphed into a wild giggles, and Cameron relaxed, realising how silly it was for her to think that something bad would happen in this house, of all places. And in this tiny town in Western Australia.

She knocked on the door. Timid, unsure knocks.

"Just a minute!" said that familiar voice. She smiled at that. It had been years since she has heard his voice ... but when the door opened, despite the mission that was given to her, she didn't know how to react.

Robert Chase, dressed in a pair of jeans and arumpled white shirt, stood on the other side of the door carrying a giggling, blonde, cherubic girl about six. Her face was smothered in what looked to be chocolate and her white, fluffy dress was stained with it as well.

For a moment, they just stared at each other. Chase, with his mouth slightly opened in surprise, Cameron, with her eyes fixed on Chase and then on the girl.

"Hi," she said simply.

"Hi," he returned, his voice flat with surprise.

Then, they were speechless.

"Daddy, I want more," said the girl, breaking the silence.

That snapped Chase out of his stupor. He gave the girl a mock stern look and shook his head.

"You weren't even suppose to have any, Rosie. Now, what would mummy say if she sees your white dress ruined?"

"Peter has chocolate all over his shirt too," Rosie said, as if negotiating for a lighter sentence.

"Well, Peter's white shirt didn't cost mummy $125. Now, you go clean up while I talk to ... my friend here."

He set Rosie down, who gave Cameron a smile, then a wave, and ran off into the house.

"I take my eyes away from them for just four seconds..." Chase drawled. He then gave her a smile – a genuine, happy smile this time – and said: "Allison. It's been a while!" He gave her his hand, which she shook awkwardly.

She nodded in agreement. "Seven years."

"Well," he shrugged, then stepped aside. "Do come in. Mind the toys. They're everywhere. Kim – my wife – she's out of town and I'm left in charge. I'm starting to think that being a house husband is _not _going to be a career option for me."

As Chase led her into the living room – gathering a stuffed snake, some lego bits and pieces, and a doll on the way – she spotted Rosie and a boy about her age chasing each other at the indoor garden the living room overlooked.

Chase followed her gaze and sighed. "Rosie, Peter! In the bath. Now!" he barked.

A chorus of "Yes, daddy!" followed his pronouncement and the two chased each other out of the garden.

"Twins?" she asked.

"Oh yeah," Chase said tiredly. But he had a smile. A kind of smile that she saw only once before – the smile that was captured in a photo by the pregnant photographer so many years ago. He was glowing.

"Sometimes I think we had quintuplets, not twins, with the work they give us," he chuckled.

As they settled down in the generously-sized living room, and Cameron was about to get down to business, the twins started yelling at each other from somewhere at the back of the house. Chase winced, muttered an apology and marched towards the chaos.

The yelling was followed by Chase's calmer voice, though it didn't stop the "Rosie did this" and "But Peter did this too" yells.

As she waited for Chase to calm the storm, she looked around ... and her eyes landed on some photo frames at the side table beside her armchair. She picked one up. It was of Chase and a blonde woman she presumed was his wife, Kim. They were carrying a baby each – it must be Rosie and Peter. They were, at the risk of sounding repetitive, _glowing_.

She set it down. The next photo frame was of Chase and his two children in ski clothes. It must've been taken recently because Chase had the same hairstyle as he did now – nearly shoulder-length hair, its waves barely contained.

"We were in Switzerland. Kim had an architect's conference to attend, so we thought it'll be great to bring the kids."

Cameron set the photo frame down and gave Chase an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, I was just curious."

"Photos are meant to be looked at,"Chase said simply. He set down a mug of steaming tea in front of her. Somehow, in between getting Rosie and Peter to finally bathe and acting as peacemaker to their war, he managed to brew a cup of tea for her.

As Cameron took a few sips of the chamomile tea, she centred herself, getting ready to launch her pitch.

But Chase beat her to it.

"Cameron, I know why you're here. My answer is still no," he said calmly.

She gulped, thankfully not fast enough to cause her to choke. Cameron managed to settle the mug down on the coffee table without splashing its contents.

"Cameron? Suddenly we're on surname basis now?" she gave him a teasing smile.

He smiled a crooked smile. "Old habits die hard, I guess."

She took a deep breath and said: "I told House that you'll say no, but he is somehow convinced that I can make you say otherwise."

"Well, tell him I'm flattered that he made you fly thousands of miles to Australia just to convince me. You know, a phone call would've been much cheaper."

"I needed a vacation," she said, smiling.

"From him?" A grin.

She laughed shortly. "The divorce hasn't been easy on the both of us." She shrugged.

Chase looked shocked, then quickly covered it up with a chuckle. "Ah. So, you did marry him in the end?"

Cameron forgot that he wouldn't know about the whole messy House-Cameron affair. After all, he hadn't bothered telling them where he went (not that they were in the business of exchanging family newsletters anyway), and after what happened between them – the botched fuck buddies experiment – she didn't blame him.

It didn't help that the last time they saw him, Foreman told Chase that he knew a doctor who will "just be great, heck better, at his job and will be less of an ass-kisser to boot". Chase had given Foreman a glare, slid his gaze to her stoic expression and House's amused look and had just walked away.

Cameron had since come to believe that Foreman lobbed that ungracious remark only because he was mad that Chase was doing something he never dared to do ... and that perhaps a tiny part of him was upset that he was leaving them behind. Not that he'd ever admit it, not even at the pain of death, thought Cameron in amusement.

Chase just didn't show up for work one day. There was a terse note to Cuddy saying that he has handed in his resignation. In fact, at first they didn't know where he was. The a few years later, they managed to find out that he was "somewhere in Australia" because of a mention of him in a medical journal. It was only a few months ago, when Chase referred a patient of his to House, that they really knew where he was for sure. And House had been relentlessly pursuing him then, calling him about a "unique job opportunity and a chance of owning your very own green card."

"Yes, I did marry House. And it lasted all of 11 months," she said with fake cheer.

"I see," he said awkwardly. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"I'm not. Everyone was right. We weren't supposed to be together."

"No one is supposed to be with House," he chuckled wryly. "By the way, how is Foreman?"

"He's the head of neurology at Massachusetts General. Married a senator."

He lifted his eyebrows in amazement then nodded, as if in approval. "He did well," he said. "And you? Besides marrying House, that is?"

"I worked with House for a while. But I've had an offer to teach at John Hopkins. I also have an offer at Boston General – to be the head of infectious diseases there."

"You did good too," he said, smiling.

Cameron was dying to ask him: "How about you, Chase? Why are you a general practitioner in a small town in Australia whose name I can barely pronounce? Why have you set up a small clinic here instead of being that great doctor you were supposed to be?"

Instead, they spent the next minute in silence as they nursed their teas. Cameron suspected Chase knew that she was still psyching herself up for the pitch despite what he told her, because he gave her an expectant look when he set down his mug.

"I don't agree with House most of the time, Chase. But I agree with him on this one. Your talents are wasted here. House's department is the best in the United States. I will dare say one of the best in the world. And I think you'll be perfect there too. As the _head _of the department. House doesn't understand why you're just a GP when you could be heading a diagnostics team..."

"Somewhere, but not here?" Chase interrupted. Surprisingly, he didn't sound annoyed or even upset at what she said.

"Cameron ... Allison. It may shock you when I say this but there are other things more important to me now than medicine."

She just met his statement with silence as she took it in.

"For a while, after I left America, I didn't know what to do. Bummed around for a bit. Eventually, I got my act together and settled for a while in Melbourne, even got a shot at heading a department, but ... it wasn't what I wanted. It was never what I wanted," he said.

This time, she couldn't hide her confusion. "What else is there?"

The moment she said it, she realised how pathetic it sounded. But she also realised that this was her reality. What else is there but medicine for her? What else is more important, anyway?

He let out a wry laugh. "Allison. I hate to sound condescending, but there's a lot out there. I'm sure you'll find something."

"Saving people's lives is something."

"It is," he agreed.

"I've been through way too much training to abandon that," she said.

"Never said you had to."

"But _you_ did."

He frowned. This time, he truly did look annoyed. "Allison. I forget how presumptuous you can be."

His remark was like a slap. She flinched and looked away.

"I'm ... I'm really sorry. That was uncalled for," he said softly. He was actually blushing ... from embarrassment? Guilt? Cameron couldn't tell.

Just then, Rosie and Peter started yelling at each other again. Cameron caught a fleeting look of relief on his face and pretended not to see that. She smiled instead.

"Daddy to the rescue?" she quipped, hoping to lighten the tension.

"More like Daddy's gonna throw cold water over their expectations, whatever it may be," he said drolly.

With that, he marched away, intent on pursuing his little demons.

There was a first time for everything, but he was really glad that Rosie and Peter acted up then. He apologised to Cameron, saying that he had to leave her alone for a while. It was either bathe Rosie and Peter himself or risk having them smother more chocolate on their Sunday best while he's not looking and to face his wife's eventual wrath.

"Daddy think that the two of you are geniuses," he said as he helped Rosie into her casual clothes.

"Why is that, Daddy?" Peter asked.

"Because you guys just are," he said, towelling Peter's hair dry.

"That doesn't make sense, Daddy," Rosie said with a giggle.

"Believe me, it makes total sense. Now, scoot and run off to the playroom. Daddy has to talk with his friend now."

"Can I make her a cake, Daddy?" Rosie asked.

Rosie's cakes were made out of mud and leaves, and not particularly apetising.

"Maybe later, honey. And you've just taken a bath. Okay, how about you two watch TV instead?"

Rosie and Peter let out a loud "Yay!" and ran towards the TV room, screaming at the top of their lungs.

He huffed, relieved that his task was now done, and set out to fulfill his next task: convincing Cameron that he doesn't need House's job.

But when he got to the living room, he stopped in shock. A heavily pregnant woman with straight, long, blonde hair was talking animatedly with Cameron, her hands flying about as she tried to demonstrate ... something.

"Kim?" he asked in amazement.

Kim Matherson Chase paused in her animated discussion and beamed.

"Robert! Sorry to pounce on you so suddenly, but the dreary meeting ended early." She enveloped her husband in a hug and sighed in delight.

"I swear, if I spend another minute in that meeting room, I will go ka-ka. I hear the kids enjoying themselves at the back. Meanwhile, I got to know Allison quite well."

Cameron gave him an awkward wave and smiled.

"And you know what? I think the two of us need to have some coffee," Kim said.

"He frowned. What, the two-"

"Us girls, I mean. She's just landed, and she needs to relax, have some coffee, unwind ... I told Cameron that the last thing she needs to do is get down to business, so do you think you can look after the kids for two more hours?"

He threw up his hands, secretly relieved that his task was postponed. "Sure, knock yourselves out." He gave Cameron a reassuring smile. "Kim knows the best coffee in town."

"Not that they're many, you understand," Kim said,chuckling. She took Cameron by the hand and started to lead her out, ignoring the confused looks Cameron was throwing Chase.

"Bye hon, we'll be back!" she said.

But, interestingly, the last look that Kim threw him was one of concern. He knew that look. It was the kind of look she gave him when she was about to do something rather ... serious.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes: **Many thanks to J Daisy for her beta-ing! It's strange, but when I wrote this story I actually cried at some parts! Shocking, seriously. But I felt so much for Chase in this chapter. :) As usual, please do let me know what you think of the story. :)

**Chapter Two**

Cameron followed Kim awkwardly around the town on their journey to the cafe, which was often interrupted by townsfolk who just had to say hello to the "sophisticated new stranger" (as Kim had dubbed her).

When they finally got to the one-storey building overlooking the pleasant river that ran through the town, Cameron heaved a sigh of relief. She wasn't sure how much longer she could hold her smiling muscles.

"Robert loves this place. He spends hours here reading sometimes," Kim said cheerfully as she opened the cafe doors.

"I wish I had the time to do that," Cameron said wistfully. "It seems like each time I'm about to take a break I'm called back to work."

"I remember those days well," Kim said. Before Cameron could ask her what she meant by that, Kim waved to the man at the counter.

"Hello, Tim! I brought a new customer!" she yelled.

Cameron caught the smell of good coffee the moment she stepped into the cosy, wood-polished interiors. Her spirits immediately lifted, and for the first time, she really felt like she was on a holiday, not on an errand for House. Kim was right, she really needed this right now.

It was a homely cafe that was bereft of the commercial taint that stuck to shiny coffee chains like Starbucks. Here, they didn't wear uniforms or wear chirpy hats with logos. According to Kim, Tim Mabo - the only barista and owner of the cafe - was an aboriginal from Darwin who bought over the cafe from a retired doctor (whose practice, incidentally, Chase had taken over).

As Kim started chatting to Tim, the nervousness Cameron felt when Chase's wife announced that they were going on this outing returned. It was obvious _why _Kim was doing this_. What _she's planning on saying to Cameron what something else together.

Five minutes later, with lattes in hand, they walked outside to the el fresco dining area which overlooked the river.

Kim, though, was curiously quiet as they took their seats, which didn't help lessen Cameron's anxiety. Cameron took a deep breath and braced herself for a lecture.

But it didn't come immediately.

For a while, Cameron could only hold her breath as she watched Kim stir her coffee, deep in thought. After what seemed to be forever, Kim finally fixed her clear blue eyes on Cameron and said: "Three years ago, Robert nearly died from leukemia."

Of all the things that Cameron expected to hear from Chase's wife, this was the last thing she expected.

Stunned, she could only ask: "What? What ... type?"

"Chronic myelogenous leukemia," Kim replied, giving her a wan smile. "I probably wouldn't have found out about it if I hadn't decided that day to talk to him about the divorce."

At that, Cameron could only stare at Kim, speechless. Used to Chase's more private ways, she wasn't sure how to handle all this personal information about him.

"Shocking, isn't it? We weren't always the Brady Bunch. God, I was so selfish back then," she ran a hand through her hair and laughed bitterly. "I thought the late nights at the hospital were all about his work. I thought he was tired all the time because of his work. I thought he couldn't concentrate at home because of his work," Kim fell silent as she remembered. "I blamed it all on his work," she murmured.

oOoOoOo

**Three years ago,**

**Melbourne, Australia **

"Shit!" Kim cursed.

He missed one page.

The last time, Robert had couriered the documents back, saying that a page was missing. The lawyers denied responsibility to that accident, which only left one culprit.

And the time before that? He didn't sign _two _whole pages. Did he think she would buy the lie about how he didn't realise he was supposed to sign on that page _again_? What about the big X the lawyer helpfully placed on the pages to make sure that the previous accident did not repeat?

Instead of couriering the documents to Robert like before, Kim decided to hand them to him herself and watch him sign them.

Impatiently, she fished her mobile from her purse and dialled his number.

"Hello?" he answered wearily.

She suppressed the stab of concern she felt at the sound of his voice.

_Be strong, Kim. No distractions this time._

She chewed her lip, looked up as if to gather strength from above and said: "You missed one page. Again."

A curse. Then a sigh. "Look Kim, I'm a little tired and I have a lot of things to do, so-" he said.

"When are you ever not _tired _or busy, Robert? I'm coming over now whether you want it or not, and I'm going to watch you sign the papers. You're not getting away with it this time."

Silence, then: "You're in quite a hurry to get rid of me, aren't you?"

"Oh God, Robert. Please don't make it more difficult than it already is. I'm coming over now!" she cut him off, tossed her bag over her shoulders and marched out of her office.

She muttered angrily to herself during the long drive to his apartment – formerly the family home. It didn't help her mood that she had to pay Rosie and Peter's babysitter extra for the last minute plea to sit them another two hours. But she bet Robert never thought of such things when he cancelled a dinner appointment without warning, or decided to stay back in the hospital for yet another hour, another day. After three years of this, one during which she had run herself ragged trying to care for the twins and build a fledgling career as an architect, she was at the end of her rope. But it was his refusal to talk about their difficulties that drove her over the edge.

"Okay." That was all he said when she told him that she wanted a divorce. And before she could say anything else, he had walked out of their apartment.

It was then that she decided to give up. It was a foolish move, after all. What had she expected? Oh, wait. She had hoped that he'd fight for their marriage, that he'll beg her to stay with him. God knows that she didn't want the divorce.

She didn't really want the divorce, but since he obviously chose divorce over fixing their marriage, she decided, why not?

So, she had wiped away her tears and called the lawyer.

After all, the man she married was no more than a stranger now. A stranger who was buried in his work, who spent so much time at the hospital that his two-year-old children sometimes didn't recognise their father. He drove himself so hard at work for a goal she just didn't understand. But it was just not his work that was in the way; it was the way he walled himself up from her ... as if he no longer care to share anything of himself. She suspected that he had a chippie on the side ... but it was something she never wanted to confirm.

Cursing silently at how thoughts on her soon-to-be ex-husband could always make her mood sink faster than an anvil dropped in the ocean, she rang the doorbell. When he didn't answer, she pounded on the door impatiently.

There was only one reason why he didn't answer. He had conveniently gone out after the phone call in a bid to delay matters yet again. Never mind. She would wait for him until he returned.

Kim took out the house keys. Thankfully, she'd kept them despite moving out with the kids two months ago. Back then it was a gesture of hope that they'd somehow resolve this mess. Now, it was a useful tool to get what she wanted.

"Robert!" she called when she stepped into the apartment.

She winced at the sparseness that had replaced a once-warm interior filled with family photos and vases of flowers. Now, there were stacks of papers – Robert's work, no doubt – on the dining table, and the vases were all empty. And the living room ...

Her keys fell from her numb fingers when she saw his sprawled figure on the floor.

For a moment, Kim could only stare at Robert's prone figure, confused. Was he drunk?

"Robert?" she asked as she tentatively walked towards him.

No answer.

Then she saw the trickle of blood from his nose and gasped.

The throb of panic in her chest caught her by surprise. For months, she had hated this man so much that she didn't think she'd have any feelings left for him anymore.

Kim rushed to his side and started shaking him.

"Robert? Can you hear me?"

The moment she touched him she could feel the heat through his clothes, and when she placed a hand on his dry forehead, she gasped in shock. He was burning up.

"Robert? Robert? Wake up!" she hissed, shaking him.

He didn't even stir.

Realising that he would not be waking up any time soon, and filled with panic at trying to figure out what's wrong with him, she took out her cell phone and called for the ambulance.

oOoOoOo

"He was so weak after the fever that they didn't want to risk starting the chemotherapy right away. They said that the stress of the divorce proceedings probably worsened his condition. Despite what Robert says, I can't believe how close I came to leaving him and leaving him to die alone.

"He scolds me all the time for beating myself up over that time, but ..." Kim shrugged. She blinked away tears and took a sip from her cup of coffee.

"Why are you telling me all this?" Cameron asked.

Kim laughed nervously, and tucked a strand of hair behind an ear.

"Because I know House," she said.

At Cameron's stunned expression at the incongruous statement, Kim laughed. "Not personally, thank God. Chase told me all about his time with House. He knew that House would start looking for him after he referred the patient to him. He also told me that House never gives up until he gets his way. And that he – Chase – has never been able to say no to him. What we didn't expect was that he'd send you. Allison, I don't want it to happen, I don't want House to get him back. It will kill him," she said, her voice shaking.

"We fought so hard to be together. Not just as a family, but for him to stay alive. For the longest time, I thought Robert was not going to make it. And when he got that bone marrow, it's as if God gave us a second chance ... and we don't want to squander it, do you understand what I'm getting at, Allison?"

Cameron nodded, even though she only understood half of what Kim was trying to convey.

"He also told me that you were both ... _involved _for a while. I think that's why House sent you," she said.

Cameron shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She secretly suspected that was the case too.

"Don't worry. I'm not upset," Kim said and grinned. "God knows I wasn't some vestal virgin when I married him. But ... I'm also saying all this because I think you know how it is like to be with a man who is dying."

Cameron shook her head in amazement as she realised that Kim knew more about her that she'd ever have guessed. She wasn't sure whether she should be amused or horrified at that.

"Chase really told you everything, didn't he?" she finally said.

"I'm sorry. Truly _sorry_," Kim said, looking mortified. "Robert always tells me I talk before I think. I know it's awkward, but we and I had a lot to talk about during those months. Sometimes I think the illness was a blessing in disguise because it made us talk to each other. For so long, we were pros at not communicating."

And she closed her eyes, remembering ...

_It was raining. Winter rains were especially depressing, thought Kim. Especially in Melbourne. At times like these, she missed her family home in Geelong, where the rain would fall from the leaves of trees rather than the moldy roofs of city dwellings._

"_What are you looking at?"_

_Kim smiled at him sadly. Robert's voice had changed so much since the fever. It was still calm – Robert hardly raised his voice. But it was just ... weak ... listless. It had been three days since she found him unconscious in the apartment. Three days since she found out that he had leukemia and that he had known about it for three months. He didn't say a word about it to her even when she served him the divorce papers. But that's Robert, she mused. Robert never shared anything._

"_Nothing," she said as she walked towards him._

_She sat down and reached out to brush away the limp, sweaty hair that was plastered on his forehead. He was breathing hard again. And she studied the heart monitor and realised that his heart was racing. Talking really left him drained, she noticed._

"_You shouldn't talk so much. It'll make you tired," she said._

_He blinked lethargically and gave her a weak smile. He was so pale ... she had never seen him this sick before. Suddenly, she was afraid. Afraid at the thought of not having Robert around anymore. It puzzled her a little because for months she tried so hard to be out of his life. And now ..._

_She felt a tear trickle down her cheek and didn't bother wiping it away. Another followed, then another, but she just kept stroking his hair._

"_You're crying. I didn't think you would you would cry for me," he whispered._

_His remark stabbed her in the heart._

"_You're an asshole, Robert. An asshole," she whispered. "Did you think I'll stop caring for you just like that?"_

_Silence, then: "Yes," he whispered shakily._

_She didn't know whether to hit him or laugh with delight at his rare moment of honesty._

"_Again, you're an idiot. If it was anyone who stopped caring it was you," she said bitterly._

_They stared at each in silence for a long time, Chase, barely sitting up in his bed, and Kim standing defiantly with hands clenched at her sides. Then:_

"_I don't have a mistress, if that's what you're saying," he said, equally bitter._

_She was surprised at how relieved she felt at that. It took a while to compose herself, to sound steady enough to not make a fool of herself. _

"_We have to get your things together ... the doctor said that you'll be staying here for a while. The fever still hasn't broken, and they're worried that-"_

_He shook his head. "Why the hell are you staying? Are you trying to placate your conscience by not leaving me at my lowest? If you want to leave, then leave. I don't need you to stay on my account!" he snapped. But his voice was shaking – as if he was terrified._

_Stunned by his words and confused by the contradicting emotions that ran across his face – fear, terror - she was speechless for a while. _

"_Is that what you think?" she managed._

"_I don't want you to stay just because I'm sick. I don't need your pity," he said harshly. But despite his hard words, he couldn't hide the tears that swam in his eyes. They were filled with a kind of desperation she had never seen in him before._

_She wanted to scream at him then, tell him that he's an asshole who never understood how she really felt for him. That he should stop pretending to be such an ice man who didn't need anyone. But it was at that moment that she realised what he was trying to do. What he had done all those long months when they quarreled endlessly over everything. He wanted to make her leave him ... before she left him. _

You're not going to win this one, Robert, she thought.

"_No. We're going to get through this together. You, me, and the kids. We're going to survive this," she said firmly, holding his cold hand in hers._

_He looked down at her hands as if they were alien entities. Then, he began to shake._

"_Robert?" she asked anxiously. As she adjusted his blankets, wondering if he was chilled, she cursed herself silently. Just this morning, his hematologist had cautioned her against putting him under stress. "I'm afraid the divorce proceedings didn't help his condition at all. Any further stress could worsen his condition, and he's far too weak to afford that right now," he had said._

_But Robert wasn't having a seizure ... she realised that when she saw the tears trickling down his cheeks. The only time she saw him cry was when the twins were born. And even then, not like this._

_She tightened her grip around his shaking hand and kissed his sweaty forehead._

"_I'm not going to leave no matter what you say," she whispered._

_He gripped her hand feebly._

"_I'm sorry, Kim. I'm sorry for everything," he whispered brokenly. "I love you and the kids ... I just screw everything up."_

"_Shh," she whispered, stroking his hair. "Why didn't you tell me? Dr Stevens said you knew ... even when I handed you the papers, you didn't say anything. Are you trying to be a hero?"_

"_I don't want you to go through this. I don't want Rosie and Peter to see me like this. I'm dying, Kim. I'm a doctor, and I know how terrible it'll be-"_

"_Yeah, my Robbie, being a hero," she whispered, giving him a wan smile. "You've always told me how you hated not knowing that your father was dying. And how you could never be there for him. It's not going to happen again, Robert. You're not your father and I'm going to be here. You're not going to be alone in this."_

"_I love you," he whispered after a minute of silence where they just held each other. Then he began to sob, curling into himself. Kim wrapped her arms around him and wept with him. She didn't understand why they were crying. Perhaps they were crying over everything. _

_But all she knew then was that she was not going to leave him. Ever._

Kim blinked. "Sorry?" she asked.

Cameron had said something, but Kim wasn't concentrating at all, caught up as she was by the painful yet sweet memory.

"I was just wondering if you're okay. You drifted off for a while," Cameron said.

"I'm fine ... I was just lost in nostalgia for a while," she said, laughing weakly.

"And all this time House thought he was soaking it up in Beverly Hills as a plastic surgeon! I thought ... never mind," Cameron gave her a wan smile.

"That's Robert. He's so private about his affairs that it drove me crazy. Still drives me crazy, actually. But he tries hard not to lapse into his old habit," she said with a chuckle.

"He got the bone marrow transplant ... when?"

"About six months after I found out. We were lucky. Very lucky. But ... by then he was so weak from the chemotherapy and the never ending sicknesses that the doctors weren't sure if he could survive the procedure. It seemed as if we always had to struggle to hold on to him. But he fought hard."

"For you and the children," Cameron said.

Kim smiled. "Yeah. Rosie and Peter would hang posters all over his room. Rosie said that she wanted to bring spring into his room because he couldn't go out. When Robert lost his hair, Peter drew him in various hairstyles so that he could 'pick and choose' what styles he'd wear when he gets out. When he had to be isolated because his immune system was weakened, the kids would be outside the isolation room to show him their latest drawings. The kids kept him going."

Cameron wanted to add that Kim obviously had a big part to play as well, but she didn't think it had to be said. It was already understood.

"I'm sorry if I unloaded all of this on you so suddenly. But I'm getting desperate. Dr House has been calling my husband at least once a week. I want you to understand that I need him to not pressurize my husband so much," she paused, then: "I don't understand his obsession with Robert." She sounded flustered.

Cameron just gave her a tired smile, the smile of someone who has had far too much experience with dealing with a man called House. "Chase is a mystery. And House will pursue him doggedly until he solves it," she said simply.

"How is Robert a mystery?" Kim frowned in confusion.

"Because ..." Cameron wasn't sure how she could answer Kim's question without offending her. She tried again. "Because Chase didn't live up to his ... expectations."

"And those would be?"

"Despite the crap he gave Chase, and how he treated him, I believe House always thought that he was the best among us. When Chase left the way he did, I think House was glad because he _knew _that it was time for Chase to be that great doctor he was supposed to be. Hell, I think he pushed Chase to leave the hospital so that he can be that great doctor," she said. "Well, that's my theory anyway."

"And by great doctor, you mean heading a department in a reputable hospital?" Kim asked.

Cameron nodded.

"He was all that, and more," Kim said. "He received an offer to be the director of Diagnostics at Melbourne General. Before that, he was the Chief Intensivist."

"He ... he gave that up," said Cameron. Chase had indicated just as much in their earlier conversation.

Kim nodded. "He had his reasons. But he has never regretted it, which is why I'm sure he's saying no to you not because of the children and me, but because it's what he wants. I'm just afraid that House will wear him out. I'm still ... overprotective of him. I can't help it," she said.

Cameron's confusion must be obvious on her face because Kim laughed and said, "Seven years is a long time, Allison. It changes a man."

--- TBC!

Additional notes:

Now, why did Chase cry in that flashback? Would it surprise you to know that I don't really know? At times the characters take a life of its own and I become like an observer. It's a fascinating process. For me, I believe Chase broke down because he was truly terrified that Kim will leave him, and when she didn't, he was afraid of what's ahead - the suffering that he, Kim and the children will go through. And I think a good part of it is also a sense of relief that he's not going to lose her, but he realised it too 'late'. Do write and tell me what are your thoughts of the scene as I think it'll be interesting to know people's thoughts on that.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary:** Seven years after Chase left the US, Cameron appears at his front door. She finds a very different Chase. Now, what happened to cause this change? Chase's POV.

**Notes:** Many thanks to J Daisy for beta-ing. :) And thanks so much for your precious comments, even if there was precious few of them. (Big sniff) Yes, I'm a review whore. :P Especially love long reviews (big hint). This is probably due to the fact that Chase Gen fic is not exactly hot stuff in the House fanfic universe though I've noticed that there are more of them now. Yay! Keep writing them, folks!

Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter, and I pray the flashbacks won't give you migraines.

**oOoOo**

**Chapter Three**

_Three years ago_

**Melbourne, Australia**

Dr Robert Chase never thought that he'd be on the other side of the table. It's the kind of delusion doctors have, he supposed. He wondered whether his father thought the same when he got the news.

"You have to start chemotherapy soon, Rob."

Chase quit fiddling with the soft toy in his hand. He realised then that he must look ridiculous doing that, so he set it carefully on the chair beside his.

"It's for Rosie. She's been eyeing that doll for weeks," he explained. It was an unnecessary explanation, it would seem, for Dr Peter Channing, now looking flustered, didn't look like he was interested in the doll at all.

"Rob-" he began.

"I know," he said tiredly. Now that his hands were not occupied with the doll, they were fidgeting with his shirt cuffs.

"Things have been difficult lately with Kim. I ... I'm just not ready," he said with a shrug.

"Rob – it doesn't matter whether you're ready or not. You _need _this to have a shot at survival. Why ..." he trailed off as realisation dawned on him. "You haven't told Kim!"

Chase shifted his guilty eyes away from his colleague – and now personal physician.

"Why in God's name not, Rob?" Channing demanded.

He wished he knew the exact answer to that question.

"Will the answer, 'I don't feel like it', be enough?" he asked wryly.

Channing sighed. "What you do with your personal life is none of my concern. But I'm your doctor, and I say you need emotional and later, _physical _support. You can't go through this alone!" he insisted.

Chase shrugged. "I don't want to put this on her shoulders right now."

"Rob – she's your wife! In fact, I think she'll be mad if you don't tell her."

He shrugged again. "I'm not too sure. I think she's going to ask for a divorce."

This silenced Channing for a while.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Rob. But I still think you have to tell her. It's not fair if you don't."

With Channing's words still ringing in his ears, Chase found himself, three hours later, listening to his wife's request for a divorce.

"I want a divorce," she said quietly.

She was sitting in the tastefully decorated living room (her work) with her hands primly folded on her lap. With Kim, who was often a beehive of energy, it meant that she was either very angry or upset. The children were at kindergarten, so the condo – a duplex in Melbourne's ritziest district - was drowning in a tense, tomb-like silence.

Inwardly, he shook with fear. But he forced the emotions down, unwilling to let them surface lest he lose control. He had expected her request, after all. It shouldn't surprise him, but he still didn't know what to say.

Making her stay would be ... unnecessary, he reasoned. Would she even be willing to stay by his side as he deteriorated each day? Would she be there as he battled the effects of chemotherapy?

To be honest, he didn't know the answers to the questions. He didn't even _want_ to knowthe answers.

So he said the only thing he could say:

"Okay," he said softly.

He caught the look of disbelief on her face.

"Okay? Is that all you're going to say?"

He pursed his lips. No, he had a lot of things to say to her. Mainly, _please don't go. _And _sorry. _But nothing came out from his lips.

He needed to set her free.

"I'm going out," he said shortly as he grabbed his coat.

He didn't wait to see her crumble into tears. He just walked blindly out of their expensive condominium complex, his head ringing with her words and then Channing's.

_It's the right thing to do. The last thing she needs is to be saddled with the burden that I will become._

He grinned despite of that.

He never understood why his father never told him about his cancer. Now, he had an inkling.

He had been a crappy husband. The last thing he needed was to burden her further.

The rain began to fall, and still he walked. He must have walked at least five blocks from their apartment before he became too winded to continue. Stupid leukemia, he thought as he sat on a park bench with rainwater pouring down his face, disguising the tears that slid down his cheeks.

_Is this God's way of saying, 'You've had your chance. Sorry, but you screwed up'?_

He looked up at the grey heavens, blinking as rain pelted his face.

He had a family but, somehow, he had forgotten about them. He didn't blame Kim for the divorce. He just didn't know how to change for her.

Now, it's just too late.

_What am I going to do now?_

He didn't have an answer to that either.

oOoOooOooOo

_Two months later..._

Time flies when you're ill.

His nosebleeds were increasing in frequency, and back when he was still in the hospital, they often resulted in dramatic and very embarrassing moments at work. Thankfully, they mostly happened in front of his startled patients or when he was alone. And he even got in trouble with the divorce lawyers because of the pesky nosebleeds. While signing the divorce papers one day, his nose began dripping blood, staining a page with bright, red splotches. Unwilling to explain the blood stains to Kim, he had fobbed off a lame excuse to the lawyers, saying that the documents were missing a page.

Kim called him later, berating him about "delaying matters so that she had to pay the lawyers more" or something like that. When he offered to foot the bill, she slammed the phone down.

He supposed she didn't take his suggestion well.

Then there were the dizzy spells. In the beginning, they were easy to disguise - "I stumbled" or "I was distracted" were his common excuses. But when he became nauseatingly dizzy during a meeting full of doctors and had to grab the table from falling over, he knew that it was time to ask for a sabbatical.

Soon, rumours began to spread about why he wasn't at work. Amusingly, the most popular rumour was that he had an affair with a patient, was found out, and was "disciplined lightly". But he was soon depressed that people thought so little of him. However, he forced himself out of the pity party, saying to himself that he never set out to be Mr. Popular in the hospital anyway. You don't get to be Chief Intesivist in just two years and keep a flock of friends at the workplace.

Despite the fatigue, the nosebleeds, the dizzy spells, and now the persistent fever, he still pussyfooted with the decision of starting chemotherapy, much to Channing's dismay.

"What are you waiting for, Chase? For your blast cells to increase to 50? It's already nearing 15, damn it! Hell, I think it's over that stage!" Channing had said after cornering him at work one day.

At least, now that he was no longer working at the hospital, he didn't have to deal with Channing anymore. Though that didn't stop his annoying phone calls.

Chase sighed and groaned softly as he settled his aching body in a chair by the dining table, which had

become his temporary office. He had relocated it here because he found it too tiring to walk upstairs to his study. It was pathetic, he thought.

_If Kim saw what had become of the house, she'd probably freak, _Chase thought in amusement.

It was by no means squalid, but it wasn't the cosy, lived-in, homey place it was two months ago.

At that thought, his smile fell.

He missed listening to the kids as they played. He missed seeing Kim busy at her corner in the living room where she drew her house plans.

He missed the reminders that he had a family, that he belonged, that he was important to someone.

He coughed, winced, and then downed his pills in one gulp.

_Don't think about this. Don't think about this._

But fate wouldn't leave him alone.

The phone rang, and he knew instinctively who it was. He had signed the third batch of divorce papers just this morning. Somehow, something must've gone wrong somewhere – he had been so dizzy and exhausted when he went through the pages. The fine print didn't make things any easier.

"Hello?" he answered tentatively.

"You missed one page. Again," Kim said. _No 'hello Robert, how are you feeling today?'_, Chase realised.

"Shit," he whispered, feeling genuinely bad that he had messed up again. "Look Kim, I'm a little tired," he said, trying to explain.

"You're always _tired_, Robert. But I'm coming over whether you want it or not, and you're going to sign the papers. You're not getting away with it this time."

She thought he was stalling her, trying to make life difficult for her. He wished he was that spiteful.

It would be easier than pretending to not care.

Suddenly, he felt a surge of bitterness and anger. "You're in quite a hurry to get rid of me, aren't you?" the words came out before he realised he had spoken them.

Her response was quick and angry: "Oh God, Robert. Please don't make it more difficult than it already is. I'm coming over now!"

And the line went dead.

The surge of anger and despair left him dizzy. He sighed and rubbed his forehead in a vain attempt to settle his aching head. It didn't work. In fact, his dizziness increased.

When his vision began to waver, he stood up shakily, worried. Damn, another dizzy spell. _Of all the times ... _he swore to himself.

He clutched the edges of the table to support himself, but his arms were losing strength, shaking from the effort. But he still stubbornly let go of the table and stumbled like an old man towards his bedroom.

_I can make it. I can make it to the room, _he thought determinedly.

But his body didn't agree. His vision wavered, greyed ... and then blackened.

He didn't feel his body hitting the ground.

OooOoOo

He awoke to the sound of voices.

He frowned, annoyed. They sounded like the buzzing of mosquitoes – indistinct and persistent. He needed so desperately to return to the comforting blackness where he wasn't in pain or burning up from fever.

"I don't understand. How can he have leukemia?"

With a start, he realised that it was Kim speaking. With great effort, he pried his eyes open.

Channing and Kim were standing by his bed. Kim had her hands crossed defensively in front of her and her eyes were red Channing looked both guilty and conflicted.

When Channing didn't answer, Kim sniffed and wiped her streaming eyes with a hand and demanded: "How long has he known about his illness?"

"About three months."

"Why didn't you tell me, Peter?" she whispered accusingly, her voice low.

"Because I'm his doctor, and there's such a thing as patient confidentiality."

"You're also my _brother_, or have you forgotten that?" she snapped.

A deep sigh. "Don't think I didn't want to, Kim. But Rob insisted that you didn't know."

"The things he does ... God, I don't understand him sometimes," she whispered.

He closed his eyes, refusing to listen anymore. And soon, he was asleep.

TBC ...

Pretty please leave a review:)


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Chase adjusted the bandanna around his head, pleased that it managed to stay on. Kim said that the children made it during arts and crafts class and he wanted to make sure they see him wearing it when they visit him in a few hours.

When the door to his room suddenly opened, Chase sat up straighter. Did they decide to come earlier? But only Kim poked her head in.

"You're wearing the bandanna," she said with a bright smile.

"Yes, I think Winnie the Pooh does wonders for my complexion," he murmured. It bruised his ego that his voice hadn't been what it was since his collapse a few weeks ago, and he hated how shaky and weak he sounded. He covered his dismay with a small smile.

Kim didn't seem to notice; she came over and kissed him on the lips, but Chase could see how pensive she looked. It was the same look she wore after she found out about his cancer. But if there's one good thing that came out of the whole ordeal is that things have truly changed between them ... for one, they were now talking, and if they fought, Chase didn't walk away. Most of the time he didn't because he just couldn't, but it's strange how things improve when you just sit and listen to what the other party has to say.

"Alan called me this morning," Kim said, her eyes on his blankets all of a sudden.

Chase fidgeted with his blankets nervously. "I thought it'd be easier if I did it myself," he said softly.

"Drafting a will ..." she shook her head, her smile strained. "You're not going to die, Robert."

He didn't answer ... he knew how tenaciously the family of terminal patients hung on to hope. He didn't want to deny Kim that. Instead, he just held her hand. They remained that way for a few seconds, just touching each other in silence.

Then she looked up, mortified. "Oh dear, I totally forgot. I've been keeping him waiting all this time," she said, laughing wryly.

"Waiting? Who?"

"Your friend," she said, grinning.

He gave her a puzzled look. He didn't have many friends, to be honest, and the few of them Kim referred to by name. He couldn't, for the life of him, guessed who this mysterious friend was.

Kim opened the door and spoke to someone outside, slided out and gave him a reassuring smile.

Chase frowned, worried and curious at the same time at who this mysterious guest was. The door opened, and the guest peered in, giving him a smile that he hardly saw on his face while he knew him in the past.

He wouldn't have guessed who his visitor was even if he had tried.

"Foreman?" he cried in disbelief.

Dr Eric Foreman gave Chase another smile and settled on the chair next to his bed.

"That's me," the man said. He looked almost the same, but the buzz hair cut was gone, replaced by a thick bush of hair that was streaked with grey.

Chase was rendered speechless for a few seconds, but when he finally regained his wits, he made an effort to sit up straighter. Foreman made a move to stop him, but Chase shook his head.

"It's courtesy to at least not slump when welcoming a guest," he remarked wryly.

"Australian tradition?"

"My father's tenet,"

Silence again. Chase shifted uncomfortably. Then, said: "Do you want something to drink?"

Foreman gave him a puzzled look. "What?"

"Unfortunately I don't have anything fancy to offer you. Just water," he said.

"You know, I don't remember you having that much of a sense of humour."

"Well, you didn't know me well enough," he said, grinning. But his grin faded when Foreman didn't return his smile.

"Yeah, it's true. Both of us didn't part on good terms, did we?" Foreman asked, his question tinged with sadness.

"Well, being accused of selling the hospital out to new management can do that," he said.

Foreman's jaw worked, then he said: "I want to say that I'm sorry I said that."

That floored him. Foreman never apologised. Hardly ever.

"Wow. You get cancer and the impossible happens," Chase said wryly.

"We found out that it had nothing to do with you," Foreman said, ignoring his sarcastic remark. "And that it was not even a doctor who leaked that information to the press," he said.

Chase remembered that incident so well. The look of contempt on Cameron's face, how Foreman looked so glad and House, that grating smirk ... He remembered feeling betrayed that despite all the years of hard work and dedication, they would never forget the fact that he'd sold House out to Volger.

He told them that he was done and that he would succeed without them. And he left.

"Well ... I'm glad you know now," Chase said, trying to brush away the lingering memory of bitterness and anger.

"Chase-"

"Foreman," he said firmly. "It's done. Things have ... changed. My priorities are different now. So, how did you find me?"

Foreman looked uncertain about the change of topic, but he humoured him.

"It was pure luck, really. I came here four days ago for a Neurology seminar, and some doctors were talking about you."

"Me? I'm a conversation piece?" he asked, smirking.

"Yeah," he said wryly. "Something about racing through the hospital in a wheelchair?"

"I wasn't racing. My kids wanted a ride and Kim obliged," he smiled.

"Anyway ... that's when I knew you were in Melbourne ... and that you have leaukaemia," said Foreman.

"Well," Chase said, shrugging, not knowing what to say to that. He hoped that Foreman wouldn't proceed asking him 'how far along' he was. The last thing he wanted to do was to discuss symptoms with the man. They both knew how bad off he was.

Instead, Foreman began filling him in on what's going on back in the United States, how Morgensten lost his hold on the hospital when his money-spinning schemes got out of control. How Cuddy is now back and married and expecting her first child. The way Foreman said it, Chase was fearful that she had ended up with House, but Foreman merely shook his head and said, "Wilson."

"Wilson?!" he half-shouted. Then laughed. God, what an odd pair. Foreman chuckled with him.

"House is back in Diagnostics. After us, nobody lasted more than a year."

"Kids these days. Not as tenacious as our generation, eh?"

So went the conversation. Gossip here and there, though curiously little information about Cameron, who left the hospital shortly after he did. They didn't bother to keep in touch, explained Foreman.

"I guess we were both bad memories for each other," Foreman said regretfully.

Chase studied the man for a while, then asked: "Did you regret anything?"

"What, besides accusing you of something you didn't do?" Foreman said sarcastically.

He laughed shortly. "Yes, besides _that_."

"Well. Huh," he rubbed his bearded chin in thought, then said with a shrug: "I did regret not proposing to a woman I met last summer."

That remark surprised Chase because Foreman was never that forthcoming with his emotional and social life before.

Chase frowned. "And why didn't you?"

"It was ... I don't know. Rushed? And we are so different I didn't even know if we'd ever go far."

"In other words, you quit because you were sure you guys will never work out."

Foreman shrugged. "Yeah."

"And the proof that you have is ... you're both _too _different?"

Foreman shrugged.

"Yup. I'd say that's something to regret," Chase replied.

Foreman stiffened.

"She never knew a day of hardship. She grew up in a boarding school in Wales, feels embarrassed if we're in a pizza parlour, and her father thinks I'm a poor choice, a guy with bad pedigree. He dug up my juvie record and shoved it in her face. And ... she's a Republican," Foreman said lamely.

"Whoa. Never shall the twain meet ..." Chase remarked with a grin.

Foreman sighed.

"Foreman. If you feel so strongly for her, just go after her."

A frown, then a laugh. "I can't believe I'm getting relationship tips from you. Hell, I can't even believe that you have kids and all."

"I surprised myself," Chase said. "Look, Foreman. This disease ... yes, it's terrible and I'll never call it a blessing. But ... it made me realise all those fears I had that prevented me from saying the things Kim needed to hear? They were just that, fears. I ... I'm glad I was given that chance to rectify things. A chance that my father never allowed himself to take," he said.

Foreman studied him quietly, then said, "I'm sorry, Chase."

Chase wasn't sure what he was apologising for. Perhaps for everything – the way they had doubted him, how he left, what he's left with now ...

"I'm sorry too," he said quietly.

They spoke for another 15 minutes, and Foreman then excused himself, saying that he has an appointment to rush off to. They exchanged goodbyes and Chase didn't believe that he'll see him ever again.

OooOoOo

_Two weeks later_

Soft, gentle fingers ran through his sweaty hair. Someone was singing ... Chase shifted his head so that he could listen to it better ... he could just make out the words ... then the singing stopped.

"Don't stop," he whispered. But it came out as an unintelligible moan.

"Shh, it's okay. I'm right here," someone said.

His tired mind took some time to remember who it was, and he smiled when he did.

"Kim," he whispered, then forced his eyes open.

Kim smiled down at him, but he could see that she was crying. Why was she crying?

"Don't cry," he said.

His words did the opposite; she turned away, closed her eyes as tears ran freely down her cheeks. He wished he had words to make her feel better. He wished he wasn't dying. He wished he had just one more year with her. He wished for many things but this.

His condition took a turn for the worse a few days after Foreman's visit. One minute he was talking to Kim, and the next he was crashing. He woke up with an aching chest and to the sight of Foreman looking down at him with concern.

If he had the strength, he would've remarked in surprise that Foreman was still around. But he could barely open his eyes, let alone talk, so he had let himself drift into unconsciousness again.

For three tense days, the doctors struggled to keep him alive as his fever spiked and his vitals fell. And somewhere between lucidity and delirium, Foreman managed convey to him what he had already suspected: that he may have only days to live because his immune system has somehow decided to give up on him. But there was still a chance, said Foreman, if they could find a donor.

If.

He wrapped his fingers around Kim's cold hands. The chances of that happening was between impossible and never.

"I love you," he whispered, gazing into her red-rimmed eyes.

Kim began to sob. Then she lay her head next to his, running a hand through his hair.

He didn't have to hear her say anything to know that she loved him too. And that made him glad. So glad that he had the chance to leave with that knowledge.

He listened to her sobbing, summoned enough strength to wipe away her tears, and kissed her on her forehead.

"Thank you," he said.

Then he closed his eyes ... feeling content.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Living this high up, he could almost believe that he was living in the sky. That the Melbourne traffic snarl below him didn't exist, or that his neighbours didn't live in ugly, concrete buildings.

He watched the flock of migrating birds fly across the sky and then shifted in the easy chair with a satisfied sigh. He had to say that he enjoyed doing nothing. He never thought it could be so ... comfortable. Not that he had time to laze around like that when he was at Melbourne General. Life was far too harried for something as frivolous as sitting down and enjoying the sights.

While he was in the hospital, Kim had put her skills to work in the apartment again. Although never really a messy man, Chase didn't , unfortunately, have a great interest in interior decorating. He had even used the balcony to store useless junk.

Now, it was filled with potted plants, a little fountain, and the easy chair that Kim had especially designed for him so that he could rest.

And he did that a lot.

It has been two months since the successful bone marrow transplant which ended almost a year of fear and agony for him and his family. He had barely survived the procedure, and for a month he was in the hospital under the vigilant care of the doctors who watched his every wheeze or sneeze.

Foreman, shockingly, stayed by his family's side throughout the whole ordeal. It was his tireless efforts that got him the bone marrow, and Kim had officially made him a member of the family by inviting him over for countless number of dinners and introducing him to her parents. And Foreman – bless him – had made life easier for all of them by helping Kim run errands. Chase didn't understand why Foreman did what he did; perhaps it was out of guilt – which was a silly reason, he thought. But he didn't begrudge him for it ... he was just simply grateful.

Foreman was a hell lot calmer during his recuperation process than Kim, who quietly fretted by his bedside daily, but he was a strict minder who refused to let him cut any corners with his recovery routine. And that meant spoon feeding him meds if he needed to and no ice cream or french fries or anything remotely unboiled to pass his lips.

It was only when he slowly regained his strength that people began to relax. But Kim? He didn't think she would ever relax, not even when he was finally allowed to return to the apartment last week.

Although he spent most of his time sleeping, Kim ensured that he did nothing strenuous beyond lifting a fork during his waking hours. It drove him a little crazy sometimes, but he eventually realised that he didn't mind the mothering – especially after discovering the joys of daytime soap. He bet he could beat House flat with _General Hospital _trivia now.

Also, having his wife by his side and his children playing in their home filled him with a kind of peace that he had never experienced before. And it got him thinking, especially after he received the phone call this morning.

He heard the front door open and sat up in time to see Kim come in the front door.

"Don't get up, Robert! I'm coming,"she called out.

He lay back in the easy chair obediently and when she was finally at his side, she fussed over his blankets, pulling them up his chest.

"It's not that cold," he reassured her.

"It's not that warm either," she countered and then gave him a kiss.

As she sort through the mail at the small table just beside the entrance of the balcony, he said: "Dr Morgenstein called."

He notice her shoulders stiffening slightly, but she quickly covered it up by flashing him a smile.

"He did?"

"Yes. He said that the job as Head of Diagnostics is mine when I return."

She smiled, and he knew it was a genuine smile. "That's wonderful, Robert! You've worked so hard to get that job."

So hard that I barely have time to spend with my family, he thought sadly. And if I do accept it, I will have even less time.

"I'm turning it down," he said firmly.

Her smile faded, replaced with a puzzled look. "But ... didn't you say that the position was everything you've wanted?"

Ah, that's Kim. She always knew how to cut through the chase.

"Kim," he motioned her to come to his side, and she did, kneeling down at his side. "I thought that 'everything I wanted' was a cushy director's job at Melbourne General. You were right, I was an idiot."

"Robert. We all have our dreams, what I said-"

"Kim, listen ... all those months at the hospital ... I had a lot of time to think and ... I realise that you, Rosie, Peter ... I already have what I need. Only I never realise it.

"And the dream – it wasn't even mine to begin with. It was House's. It was my father's. It was never what I wanted. This-" he cupped her face. "-is my everything," he said.

Her eyes began to simmer with tears.

"Remember what you've always said about Geelong? About how nice it is to be surrounded by greenery?"

She nodded.

"I was just wondering if we can actually have that?" he wondered wistfully.

"Of course we can, Robert," she said, her voice shaky with happiness.

"Only if you're coming with me," he said with a smile.

"Sometimes you're such an idiot, Robert Chase. Of course, I will," she said, laughing. And they kissed, and that was the beginning of their next chapter.

oOoOo

_**Present day**_

After reading Rosie and Peter _Cinderella – _with Peter insisting that it was a stupid girl's story all the way – they ended up asleep with their heads on his lap on the couch: Rosie on his left, Peter on his right. He let them sleep, and rested his hands tenderly on their heads, feeling that if he could be like this forever, it'd be great.

As he listened to the pitter patter of rain on the roof, he wondered what exactly his wife was telling Cameron. Actually, he had a good idea. Kim had that look – that she was about to do something he probably would not like, but was for his own good.

But that was what he loved about Kim – how she'll not hesitate to tell him something that she believes is good for him even if it pisses him off.

He heard the click of the door knob and sat up straighter. A few footsteps later, Kim walked in.

"Oh, this is so cute. Where's a camera when I need it?" Kim said, laughing.

"My legs are numb," he lied.

"Come on, let's tuck them in," Kim said. She gently picked Rosie up. She didn't stir at all – while Peter grumbled loudly when Chase carried him.

After tucking the twins in their bedroom, they walked to the kitchen where Kim started to prepare a light salad for dinner.

"Where's Cameron?" he asked.

"She decided to head back to the hotel."

He nodded, feeling relieved. He then wrapped his arms around his wife and sighed happily as his hands rubbed her swollen belly.

"Four more weeks," he murmured into the side of her neck, then kissed her.

"Uh-hmm. Rosie insists that it's a girl. Peter says it has to be a boy because there are enough girls on the planet as it is," she said. He didn't have to look at her face to see that she was smiling.

"Oh, he says that _now. _Wait till he reaches puberty," Chase said, chuckling.

They remained in comfortable silence until Kim asked, "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. Why, are you worried?"

"A little. You are quiet," she said.

What Kim really meant was the "he'd rather be silent instead of sharing his troubled thoughts" kind of quiet.

"Seeing Cameron brought back memories," he said.

"Bad ones?"

"Some. Of the time when ... things were not so great between us."

She turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Yeah. I thought the same thing too," she said.

They leaned their foreheads against each other's, and he started caressing her stomach again.

"But I also remembered when things became better."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," he answered, kissing her chin, then her neck, then her lips. Slowly, gently.

"I'm never going to give up our lives for House or anybody, you know that, right?" he asked softly.

"Uh-hmm," she murmured as she returned his kiss.

"Because I have everything I need here," he said when he broke the kiss.

And he showed her how much he meant it.

end -

Note:

Hello guys, thank you so much for staying for the ride. I know I've been abominably slow – the perils of being in my job, unfortunately, as I travel so much. Of course this story is no longer 'canon', but one can always dream that our boy Chase will live happily ever after. :)


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